Chereads / RWBY: Fireborn (Complete) / Chapter 79 - Searching for the Truth (1)

Chapter 79 - Searching for the Truth (1)

[A/N: I'm trying something different for P.O.Vs. Please let me know what you think.]

{Logan's P.O.V.}

"You know, I should have expected something like this..." I stated as I stood between Minkael and Tokage as they were bounded by my ash. It wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for the broken glass that was irritating my scalp and the alcohol that was dripping down into my eyes.

Apparently, Minkael never actually met with Tokage last night and camped out at the port. He didn't even come near the smithy that she now owned in Kuo Kunna until I found him wandering around the Market. After I confronted him about it, Minkael admitted that he was nervous about meeting her. Something I never thought I would hear him say. The old bastard wasn't afraid of anything, yet he was scared to meet his daughter.

After I had to basically drag him to her shop, I forced him inside from the side entrance that she had for deliveries. Since today was Sunday, her shop was closed and she was relaxing in the house portion of her shop. It was when Tokage saw him, that crap hit the fan and fast. Even though I saw it happen, I'm still not sure what happened.

One second she was greeting me with a smile, the next I was blocking an empty coffee mug. Minkael, due to his past experiences, reacted to the attack by unslinging his coach gun from his back. From there I wrapped him up with my ash while getting the gun away from him. Then I stepped in front of him when Tokage appeared and swung a full bottle of rum at the top of his head, needless to say where it hit me. To stop her from attacking again, I wrapped her up too and gagged her before she could shout any choice words at him. And from the look in her eyes, she had quite a few to say. Minkael, on the other hand, was as quiet as a mouse.

I sighed deeply as I set the two of them down on a couch and chair, as far away from each other as I possibly could but I still left them bound. Once they were secured, I made my way into Tokage's kitchen and used her sink and faucet hose to wash the alcohol off my head and face. Then I used my flames to get rid of the remaining glass in my hair and any cuts I might have had along with healing them as well.

I mainly did this for a few reasons. One was to wash off the alcohol before it got sticky. Two was to let them stew and maybe cool off a bit. Three, I needed time to figure out if I should leave them and head on over to Sienna since it was about an hour till noon. After I thought about it, and as cruel and funny it would be, I knew I needed someone to watch them if I did. If how they acted after seeing each other was anything to go by, they would most definitely fight again.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen," I spoke to them as I walked back into the living room area, "I have to meet with Sienna at noon. I can either leave you two here, bound, and the both of you can just sit there and try to talk to each other like respectable adults. Or I can unbind you and you two try to be civil. If the two of you can't agree on something before I leave, I'm gonna bind and gag the both of you till I get back." I told them while I ungagged Tokage. "Am I clear?"

Minkael: "Clear as day." Minkael said from my left and I could tell he meant it.

Tokage: "Either way, someone's blood is gonna be spilled." I just sighed when I heard Tokage's answer.

"Then, until I'm back, the two of you are gonna stay like that." I saw that it was gonna be bloody if they were released. "On the bright side though, I'm not gonna gag either of you. So at least try to talk to each other like civilized people while I'm gone. Please?"

I sighed again as I saw neither one of them make any move to even say a thing. I couldn't force them or anything so I just left the two of them where they were. As I left, I headed towards the market. Even though Tokage is a smith for Kuo Kuana now, her shop is more towards the factory district-like area of Kuo Kuana due to the noise.

As I walked through the market, I stopped here and there buying a few things and giving them out to the kids I seen begging. Even with the Black Fangs' missions to save as many Faunus as they could from people like the S.D.C, which somehow were still going strong, and helping poor Faunus towns, there would always be orphans wandering the streets. So I did what I could, I bought them some fruit, gave a little Lien, or helped them find someone willing to take them in. That's one thing I found out about Faunus, regardless of what type of Faunus they may be, they always treat family as the most important thing.

I would have taken them to the orphanage, but the updates I get from Sienna say that it's always too full for any more. Even with her and Ghira doing the best they can, there is always an issue that takes precedence over the orphanage. That and not that many Faunus families can spare the effort to feed another mouth.

Even with all the plans that I made, Menagerie is still struggling after so many years. All the materials, seeds, and Dust did what they could to get them a good jump start, but even then, there would always be places that discriminate against Faunus. Be it outright refusing to cater to them or even just jacking the price of things a few times, there was always discrimination.

By the time I made it to Sienna's office, I was early about 5 minutes. I just mentally shrugged and knocked on the door. As soon as I did, I heard an immense amount of shuffling, hurried footsteps, and quiet whisperings that I couldn't hear too well. Not long after, I heard Sienna say enter.

Sienna: "Logan, I didn't expect you to be early." Sienna said, but the flush of her face couldn't fool me.

"And I'm guessing the one hiding up on the ceiling is the reason why you're so flushed?" I asked with a devilish smile on my face. "You can come down now." I calmly say as I glanced up. Who came down was a Faunus I didn't recognize. Appearance-wise, she looked to be some type of canine Faunus if the ears on her head were any indication, they almost looked like fox ears but it was hard to tell with her wild, messy hair.

Caramel: "H-hello." She stuttered out. "I-I'm Caramel, a Brown Fox Faunus." She introduced herself as she hid behind Sienna like I was gonna attack her or something.

"Oi! I don't bite!" I somewhat shouted at her ridiculous actions. "And didn't you want me to, 'Warm your bed,' last night?" I asked Sienna who looked like I just killed her pet in front of her.

Sienna: "Hey! I was joking!" She shouted back at me while Caramel looked as if she was betrayed by Sienna. "We had an extra room you could have used. I didn't expect you to drop a bomb on me, plus how would I know that you're married! And how would I know in the first place that you were? You don't exactly talk about your personal life when you call me either!" She defended herself while she hugged Caramel close to her and petted her head to calm her down. "Anyway, this is my significant other, Caramel. We met about three years after you left." Sienna then introduced me to her lover.

"Charmed," I responded dryly as I took a seat. "Anyway, you wanted to see me?" I asked as I didn't have all day to be here, I still had Minkael and Tokage bound with my ash.

Sienna: "I had a report coming a few days ago about an odd ship." She began as she had Caramel leave the room.

"Yeah, I heard," I said before she could go on. "Four Faunus left while there was a skeleton crew of six onboard. No other crew insight. And from what I heard, the Faunus that left the ship were acting weird."

Sienna: "Then this makes things easier." Sienna spoke as she leaned back in her chair. "I've had my Black Fangs watching over them since the day they arrived and had a team infiltrate that ship as well. From their reports, the ones left behind are very religious with a strict schedule they follow to the letter."

"And the team that you sent to the boat?" I asked feeling dread, I already had an idea when I saw Sienna's face.

Sienna: "They're alive, but something about them has changed." Sienna started. "At first I didn't put any thought into it. But about three days after they infiltrated that ship, they stopped following my orders."

"How so?" I asked as I knew how they operated.

Sienna: "For one, they began to interpret my orders completely different than what I asked them to do." Sienna said as she rubbed her temples. "If it was a simple watch and observe order, they would infiltrate where I sent them and torture anyone they could get their hands on for information. If it was a capture mission, they made it a destroy mission. Well, those are just some examples."

"What happened to them?" I asked as I might have an idea of what's wrong with them.

Sienna: "They're currently locked up and restrained in one of our 'Special' prisons to keep them out of the way until we can figure out why they're acting as they did." Sienna told me. "We haven't been able to look at them since there are too many issues popping up." She sighed heavily as she looked me in the eyes. "How can you handle all that weight on your shoulders? How can you handle being the first ever Faunus to be a SSS-Class Hunter, all those missions you went through, all that blood that covers your hands, all those hopes and dreams to those you inspire, and all those who doubt you and try to push you down? How can you handle all that? Any normal person would buckle under all that weight, but not you. I feel like I'm drowning in what needs to be done." Sienna finished her spiel to me and finished it off with an unasked question.

"It's not like I wanted it." I said with a sigh. "A lot of the time it was just forced upon me. Hell, I didn't even plan to be a SSS-Class Hunter. I thought as long as I got my license, I could make a difference. Helping Menagerie was something I only had ideas for, it was only thanks to those around me that those ideas turned into reality." I spoke as I leaned back in my chair. "As for the blood that I've spilled, even if I was prepared for it, at times it's too much for me to handle. That's why I drink at times and overwork myself constantly. I do have hobbies to help me cope with it, but at times it can be suffocating. Getting stronger because of it? No, far from it. I just learned to deal with the weight and move on." I said as I stood and went over to a side desk that had a large decanter with a honey brown liquid inside. "I'm no God, I'm mortal just like everyone else." I said as I poured myself and Sienna a glass.

Sienna: "Yet, with your semblance, you pretty much are immortal." She joked when I handed her a glass. "But I guess even you have your limits."

"Yeah Yeah I do." I said as we both drained our glasses in one go. "Anything else you have on that ship and Faunus? Because if you don't, I have to go deal with Tokage."

Sienna: "That's all." She said as she took the glasses and put them back. "Why do you have to deal with Tokage anyway?"

"The person I brought with me was her father." I said with a sigh. "And this morning, as soon as the two of them saw each other, I had to intervene and got a bottle smashed on my head." I said as I left, hearing only laughter in response.